Display device for suction cleaning apparatus



1 WITNESSES: 5 I HAPl-ES HINgNTOR P 7 W 25 BY V 0 March 14. 1944. Q H, TAYLOR 2,344,182

DISPLAY DEVICE FOR'SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Oct. -25, 1941 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNZY March 14, 1944. c. H. TAYLOR DISPLAY DEVICE FOR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 25, 1941 INVENTOR CHARLES H. 724K401 W A'ITORTZYW WITNESSES: ZMW

211" 4 2 FIG 3 Patented Mar. 14, 1944 DISPLAY DEVICE FOR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Charles H. Taylor, Springfield, Mass, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 25, 1941, Serial No. 416,460

Claims. ('01. 206-44) This invention relates to a device for displaying or carrying vacuum cleaner attachments.

There is provided usually with vacuum cleaners of the portable household type a set of attachments comprising. a length of hose, a non-flexible extension tube, and several smaller attachment members, such as one or more nozzles, a hose connector, and one or more brush members. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved device for displaying or carrying such a set of attachments.

Another object is to provide a device of this type which is made of foldable material and may be readily collapsed or flattened for shipment and expanded for use.

A still further object is to provide a device of this type which is appealing to the eye and, in the meantime, economical to manufacture.

These and other objects are eifected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device with the attachment members in position for display or carrying;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device in partially collapsed position;

Fig. 1 is a view as seen along line IV-IV of Fig. 3, rotated 90; and,

Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of the blanks from which the device is formed.

Referring to the drawings for a detail description of the invention, the display or carrying device is indicated generally by the reference character Ill. The device 10 includes a first compartment H in which a flexible hose l2 and, in some instances, a non-flexible extension tube l3 are positioned for displaying or carrying and a second compartment l4 which includes means for supporting smaller elements 5 for displaying or carrying.

The compartment H is formed from a blank, shown in Fig. 5, of foldable material, such as cardboard. This blank is folded along the broken lines 28 so as to define av compartment having a pair of substantially identical side Walls 2|, a back wall 22 and a front wall 23. The back wall 22 comprises two layers or thicknesses of material which are lapped over one another and fastened together by stapling, gluing, or some other suitable means. The bottom of the compartment l I is closed by flaps 24 having inclined edge portions 24a, a flap 25 having inclined edge portions 25a and a lip portion 250, and a flap 26 having a notch 26:; cut therein. To close this bottom, the flaps 24 are first folded along the dotted lines 24b, then the fiap 26 is folded along the dotted line 2617, then the flap 25 is folded along the dotted line 25b and the lip 250 is placed in the notch 26a, in the flap 25, and an edge portion of the lip 250 is tucked under the flap 26 to hold the flaps in folded position. The inclined edge portions 24a of the flaps 24 coact with the inclined edge portions 25a of the flap 25 in such manner as to assist the lip 250 in holding the flaps folded. This flap arrangement holds the compartment H expanded, and, also, provides a substantially plane bottom wall therefor. Having thus described one satisfactory way of closing the bottom of the compartment II, it will be understood, however, that the bottom of this compartment may be closed in any suitable manner.

The top of the compartment H is left open so that the hose I2 and the extension tube l3 may be readily inserted into the compartment.

A handle for carrying the device I0 is provided by cutting a slot 29 in the back wall 22. A slot 30, the function of which will be explained hereinafter, is provided in the front wall 23.

The second compartment [4 is formed from a blank, shown in Fig. 6, of foldable material such as cardboard. This blank is folded along broken lines 33 so as to provide a pair of substantially identical side walls 34, and. a front wall 35, and is folded along the broken line 36 to provide a top wall 3'! which is integral with the front wall 35. Tabs 38 are formed integral with the side walls 34 by folding the blank along broken lines 39. These tabs 38 are placed against the areas defined by the dot and dash lines 48, 4| and the broken lines 42, 43 on the front side wall 23 of the first compartment l I and are fastened thereto by some suitable means, such as stapling or gluing. It will be noted at this point that the wall 23 is common to both of the compartments. The top wall 31 has a tab or lip 45 formed. thereon and when the device is expanded, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for displaying or carrying, this lip 45 extends into the slot 30 in the front wall 23 of the first compartment and edge portions 46 of the top wall 3? abut against the Wall 23. This engagement by the top wall 31 of the compartment M with the wall 23 of the compartment =1 1 serves to hold the compartment 14 expanded. The top wall 31 is in effect an inclined shelf and it has a plurality of holes 41 therein in which portions of the small attachment elements -I 5 are placed so that they are held in a position where they may be readily viewed by a prospective customer or by the user. However, it will be understood that any suitable means may be provided for holding the elements I5 in position on the top wall 31. Due to the co-action between the top wall 31 and the Wall 23, explained above, part of the weight of the elements I5 is transmitted to the wall 23. This distribution of the weight enables the entire device to be made of relatively thin material without having any appreciable sag in the top wall 31 due to the weight of the attachment elements I5.

When the device I is shipped to a dealer, the fiaps 24, 25, and 26 of the compartment II and the top wall 31 of the compartment I4 are positioned substantially as indicated in Fig. 3 and the compartments II and I4 are folded fiat against each other. This enables a number of the complete devices to be shipped in a small space. The dealer expands the compartment II and folds the flaps 24, 25, and 26 as previously described and expands the compartment I4 and tucks the lip 45 on the top wall 31 of the compartment I4 into the slot 30 in the front wall 23 of the compartment II. When thus expanded, the bottoms of the two compartments lie in substantially the same plane and provide a continuous smooth support which will support the device in upright position when placed on a counter or floor with the hose I2 and the extension tube I3 inserted into the compartment II and the smaller elements I placed on the top wall 31 of the compartment I4. From Fig. 2 it is seen that all of the elements are plainly visible to a customer. It is also intended that the purchaser use this device for neatly storing the attachment elements and for carrying them, the handle provided by the slot 29 providing a ready means by which the device with the attachment elements therein may be picked up and carried from place to place.

From the foreging description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is seen that this invention has provided an improved device from foldable material for displaying and carrying vacuum cleaner attachment members which is easy to ship, appealing to the eye, and economical to manufacture. J 7

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for displaying or carrying vacuum cleaner attachment members including a hose and a plurality of smaller attachment members, said device including a wall structure defining a first compartment having an opening in its top through which the hose is inserted into said compartment, one of the walls of said compartment having a slot therein, another Wall structure defining a second compartment comprising side walls hingedly connected to said first compartment, a front wall hingedly connected to said side walls, and a top wall hingedly connected to said front wall, a portion of said top wall projecting through said slot in said wall of the first compartment to hold said second compartment expanded, and means whereby small attachment members are held in position on said top'wall for displaying-or carrying.

2. A device for displaying or carrying vacuum cleaner attachment members including a hose and a plurality of smaller attachment members, said device being made of foldable material so that it may be collapsed for shipment and. expanded for use, said device including a wall structure defining a first compartment having an opening in its top through which the hose is inserted into said compartment, one wall of said compartment having a slot therein, another wall structure defining a second compartment, said second wall structure including side walls hingedly connected to said first compartment, a front wall hingedly connected to said side walls, a top wall hingedly connected to at least one other wall of said second compartment and having a portion which extends into said slot in said first compartment and a portion which abuts against the slotted wall of said first compartment whereby said second compartment is held expanded, and means whereby small attachment members are held in position on said top wall for displaying or carrying.

3. A device for displaying or carrying vacuum cleaner attachment members including a hose and a plurality of smaller attachment members, said device being made of foldable material and including first and second compartments which may be collapsed against each other for shipment and expanded for displaying or carrying, said first compartment having side walls and an opening in its top through which the hose is inserted into said compartment, one of the side walls of said compartment having an aperture therein, said second compartment having hingedly connected front and side walls and a top wall hinged to at least one of the walls of said second compartment, means holding said second compartment expanded including a lip on said top wall which extends into said aperture in the wall of said first compartment, means whereby small attachment members are held in position on said top wall for displaying or carrying, and a handle on said device in such position that it may be readily engaged by a hand for carrying the device.

4. A device for displaying or carrying vacuum cleaner attachment members including a hose and a plurality of smaller attachment members, said device comprising a wall structure defining a first compartment having an opening in its top through which said hose in inserted into said compartment, another wall structure defining a second compartment comprising a front wall, side walls hinged to said front wall about vertical axes, means for hinging said side walls about vertical axes to said first compartment, said front and side walls being collapsible about their hinged connections against said first compartment, and means for expanding said second compartment including a top wall hinged about a horizontal axis to said front wall and movable to a position at substantially a right angle to said side walls, said top wall detachably engaging said first compartment to hold said second compartment in expanded position.

5. A device for displaying or carrying vacuum cleaner attachment members including a hose and a plurality of smaller attachment members, said device comprising a wall structure defining a. first compartment having an opening in its top through which said hose is inserted into said compartment, another wall structure defining a second compartment comprising a fro'ntwall, side walls hinged to said front wall about vertical axes, means for hinging said side walls about vertical axes to said first compartment, said front and side walls being collapsible about their hinged connections against said first compartment, means for expanding said second compartment including a top Wall hinged about a horizontal axis to said front wall and movable to a position at substantially a right angle to said side walls, there being a slot formed in a wall of said first compartment, and a tab carried by said top Wall and detachably engaging said slot to hold said second compartment in expanded 5 position.

CHARLES H. TAYLOR. 

